Flashlight



G. MAISER Feb. 4, 1936.

FLASHLIGHT Filed Feb. 24, 1955 lnve nfor:

By Affor ney I Patented Feb. 4, 1936 PATENT OFFICE FLASHLIGHT GeorgMaiser, Dessau in Anhalt, Germany, as-

signor to Agfa Ansco Corporation, Bingha-mton, N. Y., a corporation ofNew York Application Eebruary 24, 1933, Serial No. 658,414 in GermanyFebruary 27, 1932 Claims.

.My present invention relates to the art of making flash light forphotographic purposes.

One of its objects is a new material to be used for the production offlash light. Another 5 object is a device suited to be used inconnection with the aforesaid material. Further objects will be seenfrom the detailed specification following hereafter. Reference is madeto the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 shows a perspective view ofa device provided with frictionally operated igniting device tor theproduction of flash light according to my invention,

. Fig. 2 shows an electrically operated igniting device.

It is known to produce flash light with the aid of finely pulverizedmagnesium, zirkonium or a similar material. The combustion products ofsuch materials, however, term a white cloud of dust which is ratherdisagreeable. In order to avoid the formation of dust use has been madeof a bulb-shaped vessel which after having been evacuated is filled withoxygen and wherein the flash light material, for instance an aluminiumfoil, is fired by electric ignition. The manufacture of this kind offlash light lamp, however,

is rather expensive. Foils of magnesium have hitherto not been usedpractically for the production of flash light as their speed ofcombustion was not sufilciently great.

The present invention is based on the discovery that foils of magnesiumare well suited for the production of flash light, if the thickness ofthe foils is inferior to 0.04 mm. and is preferably 0.01-0.001 mm., thatis a foil of a thickness which approaches that of a geld beaters skin.The same result is obtainable by using magnesium in the form of a wire,the diameter of which must, however, not exceed 0.1 mm. The materialaccording to this invention may be fired while freely suspended in aspace such as a transparent vessel which communicates with theatmosphere. It required the concentration of oxygen may be raised abovethat which is normal for the atmosphere. The ignition may be achieved,for instance, by means of an incandescent filament having the necessarycurrent supplied, for instance, from a cell such as is used in electrictorches, or a device operating in the manner of a socalled gas lighterfitted with a cerium-iron ignition flint. If the magnesium is used inform of a wire the latter may be directly connected with the circuit ofan electrically operated ignition device.

Magnesium foil of the thickness required according to this invention hasnot hitherto been produced. The preparation may be as follows:magnesium, whether ina cold or warm condition, is rolled into a sheet ofabout 0.06 to 0.02 mm. thickness. The thin foil thus prepared is thenbeaten, in the manner known for the preparation of silver foils, whileinserted in forms of thick oiled paper (or leather). By this treatmentthe foil is reduced to a thickness of about 0.005 mm. The foils reducedto such a thickness are then cut to pieces and are further beatenaccording to the process known for the treatment of gold foils. Thebeating forms used for this purpose are made of very thin paper. Inthese forms heating is continued, if required in several 5 operations,until the desired thickness of 0.001 mm. or less is obtained. Forproducing a flash light of normal efficiency, about 750 to 1000 sq. cms.of magnesium foil of 0.001 mm. thickness (about 0.2 gram in weight) arenecessary.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown in Fig. l a flash light lampsuitable for use with the material according to this invention. Thislamp consists of a transparent bulb I of glass, cellulose acetate,regenerated cellulose or the like 25 which-by the opening 2, coveredwith a net 3 of wire or tissue, is in contact with the atmosphere. Thebulb I is charged with the magnesium foil 4. Through the net 3 theignition device 5 is intrd duced into the interior of the bulb. Thisdevice 30 comprises a handle 6 with an extended piece 5 and means Imounted on said extended piece for fastening the device on the bulb 4.On the extended piece of the handle there are furthermore mounted twobent pieces I2 and I3 provided with 35 openings in which glides the rod9 bearing at one of its ends a hook I! and at the other a plate I0 ofrough steel. The spring II surrounding the rod 9 bears with its one endagainst the bent piece I2 and is with its other end attached to the rod40 9 near the bent piece I3. At the end of the extended piece 5, thereis mounted the tube 22 containing a pin 3 of cerium-iron pressed againstthe plate In by means of the spring I4 fastened on the extended piece 5at I5. Near the handle 45 there is mounted on the extended piece 5 thedetent mechanism comprising the part 2| fixedly mounted on the extendedpiece 5, the trigger I6 forming one piece with the part I9 and rotatableabout the pin 26 by means of which it is connected 50 with part 2| in aslit of the extended piece 5, the spring 24 is fastened around the pin26 and grips with its ends the parts I9 and 2| in order to press part I9and therefore the trigger I6 in the direction of the vessel I, the part20 having its end 55 away from the handle perpendicularly bent to form ahook I] which engages the hook of the rod 0, the part 20 being connectedto the part. II by means of a pin 23 about which it is rotatable, 5 thespring 25 which is fixedly mounted in the trigger engages the part 20 onthe side towards the handle, so that the hook it is pressed against thehook l1. When pulling the trigger in the direction of the handle theplate III will be pushed back. However, after a certain back movement ofthe trigger the hook I. of the part 20 will be pressed towards theextended piece 5 so that it releases the hook ll of rod s and by theaction of the spring II the rod 0 will be pulled forward so that theplate l0 vehemently rubs against the pin I thus producing a gerb oisparks which causes the ignition of the magnesium foil.

In Fig. 2 there is shown a device for electrically igniting themagnesium foilan'd which may simply be substituted for that shown inFig. 1. The device consists of a tube provided at bothends with piecesof insulating material 32 and ii. The piece 3! bears two contact-screws31 which may be connected with a suitable source of electric 25 energy.From the contact-screws 31 two insulated wires 35 lead to the points 36where they are soldered to two wires 33 embedded in the piece II ofinsulating material: The ends of the wires 03' are connected by-a thinwire' llt'whlch is 80 brought to incandescence by the-i'c'urrent" of thesource of electricity. On the tube 30' there are mounted flaps 1 bywhich the device can be mounted on the vesel l of Fig. l.

' In a preferred form the net I is connected with as the ignition deviceso as to form one unit; in this case the bulb containing the magnesiumfoil or wire can be united with and separated from the ignition devicewithout any difficulty. The bulb when separated from theignition device40 may for purposes of transport, be closed with a rubber or a corkstopper. In order to assist the combustion of the magnesium foil, thebulb closed with a rubber stopper and containing the magnesium foil maybe fllied with oxygen.

05 Though, when assembling the bulb and the ignition device, the oxygenwill inevitably escape in part yet a certain quantity thereof willremain occluded at the surface of the magnesium foil and assist thecombustion. For the production of 50 a normal flash light, however, suchfilling of oxygen can be dispensed with. If desired, use may also bemade of substances which evolve oxygen or substances which promotecombustion such as collodium foils or the like.

55 The advantages involved in the flash light lamp according to thisinvention may briefly be summarized as follows: Low cost of manufactureneither evacuation nor gas-charging being necessary; no formation offumes in the space sur- 60 rounding the lamp occurs as the combustionproducts are prevented from escape by provision of the net; the materialin the lamp can be ignited with certainty also without the use of a cellfor electric torches.

What I claim is:

l. A flash light lamp comprising a transparent 5 bulb made of anon-burning material having an opening communicating with theatmosphere, a material of the group consisting of loosely crumpled foilof magnesium having. a thickness of less than 0.04 mm. and wire ofmagnedum havl0 ing a diameter of less than 0.1 mm. in said bulb, andmeans for igniting said magnesium.

2. A flash light lamp comprising a transparent bulb made of anon-burning material having an opening communicating with theatmosphere, a material of the group consisting of loosely crumpled foilof magnesium having a thickness of less than 0.04 mm. and wire ofmagnesium having a diameter less than 0.1 mm. in said bulb, a net ofwire or tissue covering said opening, and 0 mechanically operated meansfor igniting said magnesium protruding through said net into theinterior of said bulb.

3. A flash light lamp comprising a transparent bulb made of anon-burning material having an 25 opening communicating with theatmosphere, a material of the group consisting of loosely crumpled foilof magnesium having a thickness of less than 0.04 mm. and wire ofmagnesium having a diameter less than 0.1 mm. in said bulb, a 30 net ofwire or tissue covering said opening, and electrically operated meansfor igniting said magnesium protruding through said net into theinterior of said bulb.

4. A flash light lamp comprising a transparent 35 bulb made of anon-burning material having an opening communicating with theatmosphere, but the concentration of oxygen within the bulb beinggreater than that in the surrounding atmosphere.

a material of the group consisting of loosely 0 crumpled foil ofmagnesium having a thickness of less than 0.04 mm. and wire of magnesiumhaving a diameter less than 0.1 mm. in said bulb, a net oi wire ortissue covering said opening, and mechanically operated means forigniting said magnesium protruding through said net into the interior ofsaid bulb.

5. A flash light lamp comprising a transparent bulb made of anon-burning material having an opening communicating with theatmosphere, but the concentration of oxygen within the bulb beinggreater than that in the surrounding atmosphere,

9. material of the group consisting of loosely crumpled foil ofmagnesium having a thickness of less than 0.04 mm. and wire of magnesiumhaving a diameter less than 0.1 mm. in said bulb, a net of wire ortissue covering said opening, and electrically operated means forigniting said magnesium protruding through said net into the interior ofsaid bulb.

GEORG KAISER.

